


That Which Shines Around Me

by psyraah



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Space Mall Date, Written Pre-S3 when we didn't know where Shiro was yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 16:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyraah/pseuds/psyraah
Summary: Shiro wants to show Keith how much he loves him.No.Shiro wants totellKeith how much he loves him.And he’ll get there...eventually.





	That Which Shines Around Me

**Author's Note:**

> My piece for APHELION. Thank you to Alex for very excellent beta work. Enjoy!

When Shiro comes home, Keith doesn’t leave his side.

Shiro understands, of course. It seems like the universe is so determined to keep them apart that every moment together is a precious thing. So, after the initial rush (the hug that lasted forever, the desperate kiss that tasted like a plea for him to stay, the tears that tracked their cheeks), they’ve turned to something a little quieter now. Just the two of them, back in Shiro’s room in the Castle of Lions, where he hasn’t been in so long.

He’s tired, but he doesn’t want to sleep. Not yet. Keith is back with him for the first time in who knows how long, and Shiro doesn’t want to lose this view just yet. Purple eyes—tired, shadowed—survey his own, and Shiro just wants a moment longer to drink in a sight that he thought was lost to him forever.

He wants a moment longer to take _all_ of it in. Keith being with him again, his arms wrapped around Shiro’s waist, his hands (always just a little too cold) pressed against the marred skin of Shiro’s back. His warmth in Shiro’s bed. And if there was one thing Shiro missed more than anything else, it was the comfort of knowing that whatever happened during the day, at night he would always be somewhere where he was loved. After they started dating, they simply slipped into the habit of Keith sleeping in Shiro’s room, and from then on Shiro always had someplace to belong at night.

Though he does notice that there are a few things missing: Keith’s extra clothes which were previously sitting in pile in the corner, his toothbrush gone from the bathroom when Shiro had looked before. Which meant…

“You didn’t stay here when I was gone,” he says quietly.  

Next to him, Keith shifts. “Couldn’t,” he says after a moment. “I—the Castle was bad enough with you missing. I couldn’t be _here_ without you too, so…” He shrugs, and Shiro’s heart aches for him.

“Just an observation.” He brushes his fingers through Keith’s hair, gently working out a few tangles. “I understand.”

Keith stills again, sighing as he relaxes, his breath ghosting gently along Shiro’s collarbone. They’re still settling. But Shiro finds himself beyond content, with simple happiness wandering carefree through his heart. And he wants nothing more than to share that with Keith.

It’s all he ever wanted.

“Keith…” He lifts his hand, brushing his fingers gently along the smooth skin of Keith’s cheek, relearning the curve of his jaw. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

Keith looks up at him, brow furrowed. “Uh, you don’t have to ask…? We’re already dating.”

Shiro smiles. “I wanted to ask. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I want to make you happy.”

The expression on Keith’s face softens. “You already do, Takashi.”

Shiro kisses him gently on the forehead. “I mean I want to treat you. I want to take you out and hold hands and just…be with you, just the two of us. I had it all planned out before Kerberos, how I was going to ask you out. And I didn’t get the chance to, so…”  

Out here, there was no stuttered confession with a box of chocolates and a request for dinner, as Shiro planned on doing after returning from what was to become a doomed mission. No, out here they came together quietly, concrete friendship simply being folded into something a little different. Something with quiet kisses and joined hands and tangled limbs sharing one bed, something made of the knowledge that wherever Shiro goes, he always has a place to call home.

It’s not that Shiro loves Keith any differently, or that he’s unhappy with what he has. Any reality that sees them tucked up against each other, warm in Shiro’s bed, is a perfect one. But he does feel cheated of the chance to spoil Keith properly, of the date he’d planned all nice and neat for when he came back from Kerberos. He tries to treat Keith the way he deserves, but it’s hard when every day means another mission and they’re stuck on the same ship—big as it is—all the time.

Keith slides his hand out from under Shiro’s shirt and reaches for his hand instead, squeezing. “Yeah, a date sounds good.”

Even though he hadn’t doubted that Keith would agree—like Keith pointed out, they _are_ dating—Shiro still feels giddy at the acceptance. Except…

“I have no idea where we can go, though.”

Keith laughs, nuzzling against Shiro. “I have an idea.”

Oh. “But I wanted to treat you.”

“You still can.”

Shiro smiles, satisfied once more. “Good.” He kisses Keith’s cheek loudly, making him laugh. It’s a sound that Shiro can never possibly tire of hearing. Some days, he thinks it’s enough for him to live off.

(It was, he remembers, what drove him to survive in the arena, light years from home.)

“Stop that,” Keith says, with a playful shove that means he doesn’t want Shiro to stop at all.

Shiro smiles, and presses his face to Keith’s neck, breathing in that familiar, clean scent. Keith’s fingers trace mindless patterns across Shiro’s back, and Shiro relaxes in his hold.

Then he blows a raspberry against Keith’s skin.

Keith—though he would deny it—shrieks. “Shiro!”

Shiro cackles, yelping when Keith jabs him in the ribs, but that doesn’t stop him laughing. He looks up, and the distress on Keith’s face—though his lips are tugging into a smile—makes Shiro laugh all the harder, and he’s breathless as he pulls Keith closer, grinning against his skin.

“You’re the worst,” Keith mutters, and Shiro lets out another chuckle.

“You’re the one who decided to date me.”

Keith sighs, exaggerated suffering riding out on the breath. “What, so it’s my fault?”

“Yeah.” Shiro smiles and draws back to watch Keith. “You chose me,” he says, and his smile softens as he trails his fingers against Keith’s cheek. He wonders what he did to be so lucky as to have that as his truth, with Keith’s expression so fond, his touch gentle as he kisses Shiro very softly on his nose.

“I’ll always choose you.”

“And I get to take you on a date.”  

“You do.”

Shiro smiles, settling down and laying his head against Keith’s chest.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

 

Shiro doesn’t know why he’s nervous.

But, as is too often the case, he might not know why but he certainly _is_.

There’s not much to be nervous about. Outfit? All set, because the only other options he has that aren’t his usual grey and black are: a) his armour or b) the Altean equivalent of track pants. Even without extensive dating experience, he knows the two of those are probably out.

The date himself? It’s just _Keith_. Well, not _just_ Keith, in the sense that it’s no one special—he’s everything that’s special about Shiro’s life, and Shiro would lay down everything for him. But they’ve been best friends since Shiro can remember, and they’ve done this plenty of times. Just the two of them hanging out, doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.

But they haven’t had anything like _this_ before. Nothing that they’ve labelled as explicitly romantic, and Shiro’s stricken by this horrible fear that he…won’t know what to do. He wants this to be special. Keith deserves special. Deserves, quite simply, to have a good day.

Shiro sometimes wonders whether or not he really is the right person to be giving Keith all of that. If it is even _possible_ that he can do that for anyone, let alone someone as brilliant and radiantly deserving of happiness as Keith.

 _I’ll always choose you_.

Shiro lets out a breath, and he turns from the bathroom mirror so that staring at his reflection won’t get any more uncomfortable.

It’s just Keith. Just his best friend, his soul mate, the very person that keeps his heart beating and his mind quiet. They’ve fit together forever, and today will be no different.

Steeling himself, Shiro heads out.

He heads down to Black’s hangar, nerves bubbling away. When the doors slide open to reveal Black, Shiro smiles at her familiar presence in his mind, stronger now that he’s arrived. She echoes his own contentment, happy that he’s happy.

Then Shiro spots the little figure perched on her front paw, and his smile only widens. Keith seems to have that effect on him: makes his smile brighter, his heart lighter, and the world seem a little less frightening.

“How’d you even get up there?” He slows in front of Black—who tilts her head in greeting—to stare up at Keith.

Instead of replying, Keith launches himself off of Black’s paw into empty space.

Shiro shouts in surprise, running to catch Keith. As good as he is, that’s a hell of a drop—

There’s a whoosh, a familiar blue-green glow, and then Keith’s hovering gently to land in front of Shiro, grinning excitedly.

“Jet pack,” he says, twisting so Shiro can see the device strapped to his back. The V-shape is very similar to the boosters on the back of their armour, except this is strapped around Keith’s chest by a series of white bands. They disappear when Keith reaches behind him to press a button. “Pidge’s been working on them. Gave me this to play with.”

Shiro smiles, inspecting the device himself when Keith hands it to him. “She’s clever. But I hope you don’t plan to fly around the mall using this.”

Keith laughs. “Well, last time we rode out on the back of a cow while being chased by security, so it wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’ve done there.”

Shiro pouts. “How do you guys manage to have all the fun while I’m gone?”

“Don’t sulk, it’s why we’re going today.” Keith chuckles, and gives him a quick peck on the lips. “You sure you okay with us going to the mall? It’s not too boring for you?”

Shiro shakes his head. “It’ll be nice to just relax, do something normal. And I’m not sure I could ever get bored with you around.”

Just like Shiro wanted, Keith ducks his head. It’s adorable. “You’re a sap.”

Shiro grins, and presses a kiss to the crown of Keith’s head. “Your sap. Now can I get a hello hug?”

“You saw me three hours ago for breakfast,” Keith grumbles, but he opens his arms anyway.

“Yeah, but it’s date time now. If we were back on Earth, I’d be giving you a hello hug.” Shiro shifts forward so he can slide his arms around Keith’s waist, smiling into his hair. “Hello.”

Keith laughs, the sound close and comforting. “Hello.”

Shiro kisses the side of his head, then his forehead, his nose, trying to pour out all his love and affection into the small gestures. Then he seals his lips gently over Keith’s with a sigh and Keith melts in his hold, arms tightening around Shiro’s shoulders as he pushes up into the kiss, warm and perfect in Shiro’s arms.

When they draw back, Keith’s expression is soft as he watches Shiro. He brushes his fingers gently against Shiro’s cheek, and Shiro leans into the touch. Keith has so much gentleness to him, and affection courses through Shiro at the simple touch, his heart brimming with it. “We should get going,” Keith says, his voice a little hoarse, and absolutely beautiful.

Shiro turns his head to kiss Keith’s fingertips. “We should,” he agrees. But they stay watching each other a while longer, just enjoying the company and the feeling of being together. They’ve been apart enough to know that there’s some kind of miracle in simply being present. Shiro doesn’t plan on letting that go any time soon.

After another moment, Shiro slides his arm down from around Keith’s waist to link their fingers together. “C’mon.” He tugs on Keith’s hand and Keith falls into step as he leads them up into Black.

Shiro wonders if any of the Paladins-of-old ever dated. If they condoned inter-species relationships, or even had a similar concept to human dating. If they did, he’s not sure that when Alfor and whoever else built the lions first came up with Voltron, they envisaged that any of their pilots would ever attempt to fly with another person sitting next to them.

Okay, so Keith isn’t quite in the seat, instead perching on the arm of it with his legs dangling between Shiro’s own. Shiro keeps an arm around Keith’s waist to keep him steady, content. It’s comforting to have Keith close, and it’s not like they’re in the middle of a battle or anything. Black is perfectly capable of ferrying them to the mall with minimal interference from Shiro.

Which leaves Shiro very free to kiss Keith as often as he likes.

He bumps his head lightly against Keith’s for what’s probably the tenth time since they boarded, grinning. “Kiss?”

Keith sighs, but obliges, his lips brushing softly against Shiro’s before he draws away again. “What must your lion think? You’re meant to be flying.”

“My lion”—Shiro kisses him again for good measure—“thinks I’m a very lucky guy.”

And he _is_. Keith’s absolutely gorgeous smile when he hears the words is proof of the fact.

“You’re ridiculous.” Keith turns away from him, the tips of his ears red as he gazes back out at the inky black of the universe passing in front of them.

Shiro takes the opportunity to kiss one of those adorable ears, because he can. “Hey, that’s what my lion thinks, not me. And you asked.”

“Well, your lion is ridiculous, then.”

“Careful, she’ll spit you out.”

“She wouldn’t.”

“How are you so sure?”

“‘Cause she listens to you, and something tells me you love me too much.”

Shiro’s heart warms, and he nuzzles against Keith’s cheek. “Something told you right.”

Keith shifts to get more comfortable, and looks at Shiro once more, his gaze searching. And Shiro wonders…

Well, he wonders whether or not _Keith_ wonders.

They…haven’t said it. Either of them. Honestly, they’ve probably loved each other for so long that Shiro isn’t sure _how_ to say it. It sounds so stupidly obvious, but Shiro actually can’t know how Keith would react. He doesn’t know if he should make an occasion of it, or just say the words, or do something in between, or…

It’s stupid, because it’s such a simple truth, and one that Keith deserves to know. Keith deserves to know that for Shiro, he’s one of the most precious people in the universe. Keith should be able to feel that he’s _special_ , to know that he’s well-loved. Really, Shiro has spent far too long on this and he should just—

Keith turns away and points out the window with a grin. “Here we are. Welcome to the Space Mall, where Hunk became a culinary legend, I got accused of theft, and Lance and Pidge were _actually_ stealing money from a wishing well.”

Shiro blinks, the moment gone, before smiling as he squeezes Keith’s waist. “You guys have really got to bring me along for more of the fun stuff.”

“Hey, you were the one who decided you wanted to hang out with Black instead.”

Shiro pouts, but then he follows Keith gaze towards their destination.

The mall, when compared to the planets that they’ve passed on the way, isn’t all that big. But when compared to malls back on Earth…

“That’s _huge_.”

Keith’s grinning, and when he kisses Shiro, Shiro can feel his excitement. “It’s great. Didn’t even get time to look around all of it last time, so this is gonna be fun.”

Shiro turns to kiss Keith on his temple, nuzzling against him. “It will be.”

And it is.

Black lands in what pretty much looks like a parking lot of sorts, and when she sets herself down, Shiro remembers that she’s not incredibly subtle. Maybe they should’ve brought a pod instead…

 _It’s not that I don’t like you_ , he insists when Black conveys a dismissive wave of displeasure. _You’re just a bit…big._

And she is very proud of it, so Shiro lets her be. Anyway, it isn’t like this is an unfriendly part of space. Or rather, word of the lions hasn’t reached this far out, and Voltron remains a legend. So that works for them.

And when Keith is smiling so beautifully, how could Shiro even think about anything else?

“C’mon!” Keith grabs his hand, tugging him out of Black. “There’s so much stuff here, we need to get going.”

Shiro laughs, and his feet fall into a familiar rhythm of following Keith. “Slow down, spitfire, we’ve got time.”

“We never get time off, we gotta make the most of it.” But Keith slows down a little as they exit the lion, linking his fingers properly with Shiro’s. The place looked big from a distance, but it’s only when Shiro steps inside that he realises how absolutely _massive_ it is. The ceiling reaches high, high above their heads; Shiro can’t even count how many levels there are. Aliens whiz about on scooters and hoverboards, chattering away in a cacophony of different languages, and Shiro gazes at the bright lights and the bustling activity, and smiles.

Keith stops next to Shiro and squeezes his hand, curious delight on his face as he takes it all in again. “What do you wanna do first?” he asks.

Shiro hums, before glancing to his right. It’s a massive dining hall, lined with tables where beings of many different shapes, sizes, and colours are sitting, standing, or…someone looks like they’re just hovering and constantly jiggling from side to side. Stalls line the entire area, bright lights and colourful smog filling the air to mingle with the chatter and white noise of the crowds.

It’s achingly _normal_. Shiro hasn’t had this kind of normal in a while; none of them have. Just the day-to-day, the ins and outs of having a little store to call your own, or going out for some shopping on a Saturday afternoon.  

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel it’s been a while since breakfast.”

Keith follows his gaze, and his whole face lights up. “I’m right behind you.”

* * *

 

They wander the dining hall like tourists, gaping at alien dishes, stuffing themselves with delicious things (purple rings that are sweet and tangy) and less palatable items (“Takashi, this tastes like vomit.” “…yeah, no, throw that out.”) and sampling everything the place has to offer. Keith must have missed this particular part of the mall last time as well, and he’s having just as much fun as Shiro.

“Shiro, you know how you ordered the pink one? It just turned orange.”

“How do they make it move like that?”

“Oh my god, you have to try this…vapour, it’s really nice.”

Keith’s holding a plastic cone with blue-grey mist pouring from it, and Shiro grins when Keith wafts it gently towards him. He hesitates, not sure how he’s meant to eat it.

“Just take a bite.”

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “Of this smoke thing?”

Keith nods, grinning. “Yeah, just do it.”

Shiro shrugs, and does as Keith says, taking a…“bite” from the vapour—and his eyes widen in surprise when the smoke turns solid and cold in his mouth. Then he’s hit with the taste of something sweet, and he swallows it down, thinking about it.

“Chocolate…” He licks his lips, smiling. “It tastes like chocolate, and…” He can’t quite place it.

Keith takes another bite, and frowns. “Chocolate, yeah. And…grape?” He offers Shiro some more, and when Shiro eats it for the second time, he agrees.

“Yeah, grape.” He grins, and this time he breathes the vapour in, still delighting in the way it solidifies in his mouth. “Or something that’s close enough to grape. It’s weird, but nice.”

“‘Weird but nice’ is most of the stuff we’ve tried today.” Keith finishes off the mist, throwing the cone away in a bin. He links his fingers with Shiro’s again, looking around. The way he pushes himself up on his toes to see over a group of taller, blue aliens is _very_ cute. “There’s a super long line over there. Wanna check it out?”

Shiro looks at what Keith is peering at, a queue stretching away from a stall with black, shimmering writing that Shiro doesn’t understand. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They weave their way through the crowd, bumping against other shoppers and almost tripping over some smaller aliens. Keith’s hand is solid in Shiro’s own, but Shiro drops it in favour of slinging his arm over Keith’s slim shoulders so he can keep him closer.

“So I don’t lose my little spitfire,” he says when Keith looks up at him.

Keith rolls his eyes. “I’m not _that_ much shorter than you.” But he winds an arm around Shiro’s waist and lets Shiro guide him towards the line.

Back on Earth, Shiro didn’t have much patience for waiting for food. He was never one to chase the latest trend or celebrity restaurant. But now he slides into the queue with Keith, pulling his boyfriend close to him as they shuffle along with the rest of the beings in line. They hardly ever have time to just do nothing anymore, so waiting in line for food is awfully mundane and wonderfully stress-free.

Especially when Keith tucks himself a little closer to Shiro, nuzzling against his chest. “What d’you reckon they’re selling?”

There are a couple of smaller, four-legged aliens in front of them, but then there are two Galra, and Shiro can’t see past them except for little plumes of glittering black steam rising from behind the counter. “No idea. Looks popular though.”

Keith nods, glancing behind him at the counter before he turns back to press up against Shiro. “Imagine how crazy Instagram would go for all this stuff,” he says, and Shiro can hear his smile.

Shiro hums in agreement. “Very photogenic food. Should get Allura to look into hooking up some Wi-Fi for us.”

Keith chuckles. “Yeah, that’ll work out here. Hunk would love that though. He had a real foodie Instagram.”

“Really?” Shiro thinks for a moment and it actually makes a lot of sense; he’s not sure why he’s surprised. “Popular?”

“Apparently,” Keith says. “Obviously I can’t check out here, but Pidge said that he had like, thirty thousand followers last she knew about it.”

“Wow. Good on Hunk.”

“Mhm.” Keith turns away for a moment to look at the counter again now that they’re closer to the front, and he frowns. Shiro wants to kiss the little crease of his brow, so he does, and Keith looks up at him fondly before turning back to gaze at the food on offer. “They…kinda look like pancakes. But spiky.”

Shiro raises an eyebrow and looks for himself. “Spiky pancakes?”

“Uhuh. And it looks like they’re…draping it over their arms. Or limbs. Whatever they’ve got.”

“Huh. What have we gotten ourselves into?” But Shiro smiles as they get to the counter, glancing at their offerings. The alien—round and grey with a single eye—raises two of what appear to be many limbs, pointing at the menu behind it.

“Er…” Shiro looks to Keith, who shrugs with a smile.

“You choose. I’ll trust your judgment.”

“Right…” He looks at the menu again, but it doesn’t help; the looping scrawl is, unsurprisingly, not English. So he glances down at the glass display instead, and there are a bunch of steaming vats of what looks like goo in different colours. Are they just getting food goo? Did they line up for all that time for food goo?

“That one.” He points to the one third from the left. “Two, please.”

The alien clicks, the translator device perched on the counter spitting out a robotic, “Okay.” Then they stick their hand right into the goo—is that even sanitary?—before yanking it out. Before Shiro’s eyes, it starts to glimmer and shine, tiny spikes rising from the liquid as it solidifies. The alien gestures at Shiro and clicks again. “Hold out to receive.”  

Shiro blinks, but then the alien rolls their eyes and grabs Shiro’s hand.

He yelps, jolting forward, and the goo is dumped on his arm. Next to him, Keith’s laughing as he holds out his own arm, and the alien is way less rough with him, probably thinking that he’s smarter than Shiro (not that they’d be wrong).

Shiro inspects the…thing on his arm, tough and glistening. It looks kind of like black rubber, though less shiny, and it glitters in various colours as the light hits it. Keith was right; it’s spiky, some tiny and jagged, others large and growing taller as Shiro watches. Is it even edible? It has to be—makes very little sense for it to be sold here otherwise—but he has his doubts.

Keith hands over the money before he takes Shiro’s free hand and pulls him away with a grin. “That was something.”

Shiro grunts, squeezing Keith’s hand as they head away from the food court. “I’ll say.” He pokes at the snack on his arm. “Guess we should try this.”

“Mhm.” Keith smiles, and bumps their food-covered arms together. “Cheers.”

Shiro grins, but then his expression turns serious. “Keith, if I die from this, I want you—”

“Shiro...” Keith frowns, looking down uncomfortably.

Shame ripples through Shiro. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.” He truly didn’t, but he should know better. Sometimes, it’s the only way he knows how to deal with any of this: imprisonment, intergalactic war, losing so many of his friends. But that’s not the case for Keith, and he should remember that.

Keith shrugs. “It’s okay. Sorry, I just…”

Shiro brushes Keith’s hair back gently, rubbing a thumb over his temple and regretting the remark. “I’m back now. You’ll be hard pressed to get rid of me. I’ll stick to you like Coran’s space goo.”

Keith smiles weakly and Shiro’s glad to see it. He’s almost glad for the elbow to his ribs as well. “Eat your spiky space pancake,” Keith orders, and Shiro’s relieved to hear that the momentary grief seems to have passed.

“Bully.” Shiro lifts his arm and takes a bite, and…immediately takes another one, stuffing his mouth. It’s sweet and chewy, and it’s doing some weird fizzing thing in his mouth a bit like popping candy. He tries to talk, tries to tell Keith how great it is, but all he can do is make muffled noises of enthusiastic approval around his food.

Keith seems to get the point anyway. “Oh my god, that’s _amazing_.” Keith’s eyes are glittering, and he takes another bite eagerly, looking up at Shiro. “It’s all... _fizzy_ , it’s delicious.” His smile is wide as he looks up at Shiro, radiating absolute happiness from being in the moment. It’s something Shiro will never get sick of seeing.

Shiro finally finishes his mouthful, and smiles. “It is nice.” He shoves the last bite into his mouth without much dignity. “That was definitely a good decision.”

Keith finishes his quickly too, sighing contentedly. “Yeah.”

There’s a tiny shiny crumb sitting just under Keith’s bottom lip, and Shiro leans over to brush it away with his thumb, before kissing the spot. Just to be sure. “Someone was too eager to eat neatly.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “Just wanted to give you an excuse to fuss over me.”

“And for me to kiss you?”

“Again, just doing you a favour.”

Shiro kisses him again, before drawing away and tucking Keith against him once more. “I have such a nice boyfriend.”

“You bet. Where do you want to go now?”  

“Not sure.” Shiro looks around. “I’m full. Let’s just go for a walk?”

They wander around, hand-in-hand. There’s not much to buy—the Castle is well-equipped, and Coran only gave the two of them so much money—but it’s nice to just walk about, looking at little wares, trying to figure out what they’re for.

“I think this is meant to be high fashion…” Keith says, doubt in his voice when he drapes what appears to be a cloud over his shoulders. It looks absolutely ridiculous on him, and Shiro swallows his laughter at the sight of the pink and orange fluff clashing horribly with Keith’s red jacket.

“It’s…something,” he says. It’s only the ugly glare of the shop assistant that keeps his amusement from bursting out, especially when the item seems to come alive and puff up, rising up around Keith’s ears as his eyes widen in alarm.

“Shiro…” Keith tries to push it back down but it inflates resolutely, lifting his hair, and Shiro can’t help the laughter that escapes as he moves forward to help Keith.

“Can you breathe?”

“Yeah, but I’d rather not go back to the Castle looking like a marshmallow.”

Shiro snorts. “Here.” He tries to help Keith pull it off, but the piece has now settled firmly around Keith’s shoulders and seems to be stuck to his head. Not that Shiro’s much help, because Keith looks absurd and Shiro can’t stop laughing.

“Not funny!” Keith’s voice is muffled by the garment, which has now expanded to cover most of his face, leaving purple eyes to glare up at Shiro as he attempts to tug it off. He looks like some kind of bizarre dessert, and Shiro coughs from the laughter.

“I know, I know,” he says, but he’s still grinning and his cheeks hurt. “It’s very fashionable.”

“ _Shiro_.”

There’s a clang, and Shiro looks down to see the tiny shop assistant slam down a crate to step up on so that they can reach Keith’s height. Shiro bites down on his lip and wishes he’d brought a camera with him—there’s a small, angry alien on a stepping stool, fiddling with the floating cloud of alien fashion that’s clinging to neck of his grumpy boyfriend, and it looks _ridiculous_.

The cloud deflates and Keith sighs in relief, but then he yelps when the shop assistant yanks the garment off him, snagging some of his hair.

“Can I help you with anything?” The translator somehow manages to sound waspish, or maybe it’s the way that the alien is brandishing the now deflated scarf-thing threateningly.

Shiro raises his hands and starts backing away. “Uh, no thank you, we’re fine.” He grabs Keith’s hand and tugs him out of the shop, and Keith follows quickly. He manages to hold back the laughter bubbling in his chest until they’re a little bit away from the shop, but then he looks over at Keith trying to fix his scarf-mussed hair, and he starts cackling loudly.

“Shiro, stop it!” But Keith’s smiling a little, too, even though he’s pouting. “My hair looks stupid.”

Shiro smooths a hand over Keith’s hair, tugging gently at his bangs. “No, it’s still as beautiful as ever.”

Keith bumps his hip against Shiro’s, before kissing him gently on the cheek. “You’re biased.”

“No, I have good taste.” He nuzzles Keith’s temple for a moment before he kisses it gently. He pulls away, but then Keith is tugging on his arm.

“Takashi, wait.”

Shiro turns back to him. “Hm?”

Keith brings them to a stop, and then he winds his arms around Shiro’s waist, tugging him closer. His eyes are on Shiro’s, and he pushes himself up on his toes to very, very gently press his lips against Shiro’s. “Thank you for this,” he says when he draws away again. “Seriously. Thank you.”

Shiro’s heart melts. “Thank _you_.” He brushes Keith’s hair back a little, even though it just falls across his face again. “You make every day better.”

The umpteenth thing about Keith that he will never tire of (the list is a long one): the way that his smile softens whenever Shiro does anything mildly affectionate. Which is usually followed by him pressing his face against whatever part of Shiro he can reach. He doesn’t do any differently this time, hiding against Shiro’s chest. “You’re _gross_.”

Keith’s shoulder is warm and solid beneath his palm, and Shiro smooths his hand over it, revelling in the contact. Keith is too adorable like this; he isn’t someone to be overly affectionate with people he doesn’t consider to be very close to his heart, and it’s a privilege that Shiro gets to have him beautifully close like this. “You’re the one who decided to stop me for a kiss.” Which was such a sweet action that Shiro feels the words bubble up again, the love beating gently with his heart.

Keith wriggles against him, oblivious to all the ways in which he lights Shiro’s world. “I take it back.”

Shiro kisses the crown of Keith’s head. “No take backs.” _I love you_. It should be simple to say, and Shiro takes a breath to steady himself. It should really be easy; every passing day makes him more desperate to let Keith know, but there’s still anxiety and worry that folds over his love regardless. But maybe now is the right time, the two of them tucked up against each other. Maybe he can just…

 _I love you_.

But then Keith pokes Shiro in the ribs, and he’s drawing away with a laugh. “Fine. No take backs.”

And Shiro watches Keith walk away and look around curiously at the other shops. He sighs in exasperation (at himself and at the jab to the ribs), smiling a little helplessly before he follows.

Maybe not right now, then.

They keep walking, doing a bit of window-shopping and avoiding any further fashion mishaps. It’s relaxing to just be able to walk along and look at things instead of having a crisis a minute, and Shiro enjoys the simple feeling of Keith’s hand in his own and the gentle pace that they set.

“Hey, I think that’s the Earth store that Pidge and Lance got their game from.”

Shiro looks over to where Keith’s gaze lands, but he’s not sure which of the alien storefronts say ‘Earth’. “Which one?”

Instead of answering, Keith just tugs him over to a store that’s almost entirely glass, and Shiro spots several units of Lance and Pidge’s game still prominently displayed. A bright red sign hangs over the entrance, not that Shiro can actually read it.

“And this is where they got the cow?”

Keith laughs as they enter. “Yep, this is the one.”

The store is a bright, _bright_ orange, and it takes Shiro a moment to get over the colour. The shop assistant glances up at them—Shiro sees pale green skin under a blue cap—before they look back down, seemingly satisfied that Shiro and Keith aren’t going to be a nuisance.

“Almost like home,” Shiro murmurs, rifling through a rack of t-shirts that seem to all have cat memes on the back, a small pang of homesickness hitting him. Much as it’s comforting to see such a familiar setting, it also reminds him of how far away they are.

“Mhm.” Keith follows him, glancing around, and then laughs. “They have a whole shelf of Christmas decorations.”

Shiro chuckles when he sees them. “Very festive.” There’s a big…box in the corner of the store, and Shiro can just see a glimpse of it beyond the shelf of baubles and poorly painted elves. It looks familiar. A curtain drapes down over an opening, and…

“Hey is that…” Shiro wanders over, excited. “It’s a photobooth.” The store owner must have made modifications. The label seems to say that it accepts Japanese Yen, but there’s a sign attached to it in some alien language Shiro can’t read and a huge arrow flashing bright pink that’s hard to miss. It points to the coin slot, and Shiro assumes that means it’s operational.

He looks to Keith, grinning. “Want a spin?”

Keith is already shoving several coins into the waiting slot, and pushing Shiro inside.

It’s cosy inside the booth, and the heavy cloth swings behind them to cover the entrance. A short bench fills the back part of the booth, opposite the camera, and Shiro sits down on it.

Keith hovers for a moment, trying to decide where to sit, but Shiro just grabs his hand and tugs him into his lap.

“This will be way more comfortable.”

Keith smiles and kisses Shiro’s nose. “As long as you’re sure your leg won’t get numb.” He leans against Shiro’s chest, letting out a happy sigh. “Now how do we work this thing?”

The screen is a dizzying series of bright pinks and flashing multi-coloured stars, but thankfully, the messages are written in Japanese. He might be out of practice, and honestly they could probably just get away with random buttons, but at least this way they’re making slightly more educated guesses.

“Looks like…we get six shots. Two different sets of three, and then they’ll print…two…of each set? I think? Press the green button to start, and if we need any help we can contact the store owner or manufacturer.” He pauses. “Probably not the manufacturer out here.”

“I think that one was pretty obvious. Think you got carried away reading instructions, Takashi.”

“Hey, I’m just glad it’s something I can read for once, kind of,” Shiro says with a laugh. He slides an arm around Keith’s waist, pulling him closer. “You ready?”

Keith hits the button on the screen and turns back to Shiro as the machine counts down. “Think fast.” Then his lips are on Shiro’s before Shiro even has time to react, and the camera fires.

And so the first set of photos documents the progression of that particular moment quite well. The machine spits out two strips of the set of three, and Shiro picks them up, his arm still firmly around Keith’s waist to keep him in place in Shiro’s lap.

Keith laughs when Shiro shows him the photos, and turns to kiss Shiro’s forehead. “Your _face_ , Kashi.”

Shiro pouts. “Your fault, spitfire.” He will admit that it _is_ kind of funny. The first photo shows Keith kissing Shiro, eyes closed and the faintest hint of a smile still on his face. Shiro, however, has his eyes opened comically wide in surprise, and Shiro can’t really blame Keith for his continued snickering. The second photo is a bit more dignified, with Shiro’s expression softening into something a little fond, his hand stroking Keith’s cheek, before the final photo has his eyes closing as he kisses Keith back.

“I love it,” he says, squeezing Keith tight and making him squeak. “Ready for the second one?”

When the next strips slide out of the machine, they thankfully bruise Shiro’s ego a little less. They’re just smiling normally in the first (even if their grins are a mile wide), and the second has Keith pulling a silly face as Shiro kisses him on the cheek.

But it’s the last one that Shiro loves the most.

Keith stares at it, running his fingers gently over the glossy paper. “I always forget that you look at me like that,” he says softly, glancing at Shiro before looking back down at the photo. “I mean, I see you do it every day, but…”

Keith doesn’t have to explain. Shiro gets it.

He kisses Keith’s cheek gently. “I know, spitfire. You can keep this as a reminder then.” A reminder that wherever Shiro goes, he will always come home to Keith. Because the way they look at each other in the last photo? The way their foreheads press together, with soft smiles and their eyes on each other like they’re the only thing in the universe that matters? No matter how many galaxies or alien worlds Shiro sees, he will never find _that_ anywhere other than in the light of Keith’s eyes and the fire in his heart.

So no, Keith doesn’t have to explain. Shiro gets it, because some days it seems like a miracle that in amongst all the tempest and the war, they’ve built something as beautiful as this. _Together_.

Keith smiles, rubbing his cheek against Shiro’s. “Thank you.” He slides their photos into one of his pouches, then stands, taking Shiro’s hand.

He tugs Shiro up and Shiro follows willingly (he always does), stepping back out into the garish colours of the store. Keith checks his pouches to make sure the photos are tucked away safely, before turning to look at the rest of the store. “We can keep having a look around?” he asks, and Shiro nods, smiling.

It’s nostalgic here. It’s so very, very much like home, if you kind of forget that the prices are written in some other numbering system and the shop owner is pale green. But it’s almost like one of those pop culture stores. There are gaming consoles (a few handheld ones that Shiro wants to buy for the others on another day when he returns with more money), some books, and a whole wall covered in creepy figurines of various cartoon characters with soulless black eyes. Posters hang from the walls, and the alien seems to have replaced the cow from last time with something that looks like an alpaca. Or a llama. Shiro can’t really tell.

“Hey, Shiro.” Keith holds up a box and shakes it, grinning. “Lego.”

Shiro smiles. “Like being back at the Garrison.” His room had been adorned with various sets, most of them space related. As a kid, his dad had encouraged the interest, and he had kept them in his dorm as a reminder of what he’d always wanted to work towards.

Keith nodded. “Which one do you like?” There was a Star Wars speeder of some variety, though Shiro didn’t recognise exactly which one, and something that looked like old model drones that they’d use for space exploration back when Shiro had been...sixteen? Seventeen?

He picks the drone set, inspecting it. “These were the newest models right when I was graduating high school.”

Keith watches him a moment, before taking it from Shiro’s hands. “I’ll grab this one then.”

Shiro looks at him. “Wait, you didn’t want it for yourself?”

Keith shakes his head. “You deserve some fun. This one’s for you. And we can build it together anyway,” he says with a grin. “It’ll be fun. Bonding activity or something.”

A wave of affection flows through Shiro’s heart, gentle like the tide coming in during the twilight. “Thank you.”

Keith smiles at him, firelight and gorgeous stardust. “You’re welcome. I’m gonna go pay for it.” He kisses the tips of Shiro’s fingers quickly, before wandering off.

Shiro smiles as he watches Keith walk away, turning back to wander the aisles again. Not much catches his eye that isn’t ridiculously expensive. But there is a display of soft toys. Bears, rabbits, an elephant. And a little black dog. It looks slightly ridiculous because it’s absolutely flat, but its ears are floppy in the most adorable way. And, it holds a squishy, bright red heart in its paws, with _I love you sweetheart!_ embroidered in white across the red plush.

It’s kind of sappy. It’s entirely the kind of thing that would be adorning the shelves of department stores everywhere on Earth during Valentine’s Day. So of course, Shiro thinks of Keith: his bright smile, and his curiosity, and his bravery, and all the other little things that Shiro has fallen in love with.

And he thinks of how Keith never really had a place before the Garrison, how he had never really had anyone before Shiro. Keith, more than anyone, deserves a little bit of sap, a little bit of the cliché and ridiculously romantic.

So Shiro takes the little black dog (so tiny sitting in his hand), looks around and satisfies himself that Keith is preoccupied with the comics section, and goes to the counter.

“What’s that?” Keith reappears at his side right as the shop owner hands him a box with the dog in it.

Shiro smiles, and pokes Keith’s nose gently. “Something for later.”

Keith frowns, placing his own Lego set and two comics he picked up on the counter. “Okay then. Nerd.”

Shiro laughs, and bumps his hip gently against Keith’s. “Your nerd.”

Keith looks up at him, sighing, but the corner of his mouth is twitching in amusement. “You’re always gonna be my nerd.”

It’s one of the sweetest things that anyone has ever said to Shiro.

The day inevitably winds down. Shiro would be a little sad about it, but he knows, with a conviction that he rarely has with anything else, that Keith will always want spend another day with him. It’s been a good day, and eating another spiky pancake while perching on Black’s paws as they stare up at the stars is a nice way to finish it off.

“It’s been a good day, Takashi,” Keith says quietly, unconsciously echoing Shiro’s thoughts, and he snuggles a little closer to Shiro, tucking himself firmly under Shiro’s arm.

Shiro hums in quiet agreement. The dark and the quiet are comforting, and Keith’s warmth pressed up against him is everything his soul associates with being home and at peace. There’s gentle silence between them as they stare up at the sky, and Shiro’s little box with the dog sits next to him.

He glances at Keith, who’s just looking upwards, relaxed and content, and the truth swells in Shiro’s heart to a point where he can’t contain it.

“Keith.”

Keith looks at him, tilting his head and smiling. “Shiro.”

Shiro licks his lips, and tucks Keith’s bangs behind his ears.

Keith frowns. “Shiro, what’s wrong?”

“Can I tell you something?”

Keith’s expression softens. “You can tell me anything. You know that.”

Shiro smiles. “I do.” It is a gift that he can trust Keith to the ends of the Earth and beyond. He turns to grab his box, taking a deep breath before handing it over. Keith looks at it curiously, and Shiro nods his head. “You can open it.”

Keith does, and he smiles as he lifts the little dog out of the box. Shiro can almost see the moment his eyes fall upon the words on the heart, because Keith’s smile turns helpless as he looks up at Shiro.

“Shiro…”

“I love you. I love you so much.” He needs Keith to know. He needs Keith to know how incredibly important he is, how much he has changed Shiro’s life for the better. How those words can’t cover it, not really, so all Shiro can do is hope to stay at Keith’s side forever and show him every day.

He takes Keith’s hand, lifting it so he can kiss Keith’s knuckles. “You are so important to me, and I love you so much.”

Shiro sees Keith’s smile for a brief moment, lit up by the stars and the lights from the mall, before Keith wraps his arms around Shiro’s waist, squeezing tight.

“I love you too, Takashi.” His voice is hoarse, and quiet, but Shiro can hear the smile there. Then he repeats it, more firmly. “I love you.”

Something gentle and ancient turns in Shiro’s heart.

The words warm him. They light a fire in him like never before; but it’s not an explosion, no fireworks. Just simple, soul-deep contentment, because it’s truth, and it’s one that feels as old as the stars.

“I love you,” Shiro says again, because he can. Because it’s true, and it’s a truth that Keith deserves to hear every day.

Keith’s laugh sparks Shiro’s own. “I can’t believe you used a stuffed toy to tell me, though,” he says, grinning as he draws away and inspects the little dog. He flaps its ears, still laughing. “You’re so sappy.”

“Only for you, sweetheart,” Shiro says, and he lays his hand over Keith’s. “Do you like it though?”

Keith nods, smiling fondly at the little dog. “Of course. You gave it to me, so I love it.”

Shiro smiles. “I’m glad.”

Keith sets it aside, smiling at Shiro. “I love you more, though.” And then Keith leans against him and presses his lips to Shiro’s, his arm solid and strong around Shiro’s waist.

Shiro sighs into the kiss, stroking Keith’s cheek gently. “I love you,” he murmurs against Keith’s mouth, Keith’s eyes beautiful in the starlight. “More than anything.”

And when he captures Keith’s lips with his again, their love echoes quietly in his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://shiroganedefencesquad.tumblr.com/post/169871177629/that-which-shines-around-me-pairing-keithshiro) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/starchydreams/status/954183489217183744)


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